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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ratgrrl on September 20, 2003, at 23:38:34
Hello All--
I've been hanging around here for a few days trying to find out info on Zyprexa withdrawal. I like the site and think I might stick around.
I am 25 years old, bipolar & OCD, diagnosed at age 20, on meds ever since with waxing and waning success. I am currently a second year PhD student in Mathematics, most of the time successfully, but I certainly have rough patches.
My current meds regimen is:
1000 mg Tegretol
20 mg Celexa
12.5 mg Lamictal (on Lamictal for just a week)
Xanax as needed
(the Lamictal and Celexa are both low because I'm trying to switch to Lamictal)I tapered quite slowly (over 2 months) off of 5 mg Zyprexa recently. I took my last dose Aug 8. I thought everything was going fine for the first week or so, but since then I've developed a horrible tremor (that keeps getting worse, I'm finding it somewhat difficult to hold a fork to eat), insomnia, 24 hour anxiety with some panic attacks thrown in (With heart palpitations and shortness of breath. I'd never had panic attacks before...they are NOT fun).
Initially I was attributing everything to withdrawal, but the symptoms are persisting and getting markedly worse (despite the fact that I've been off Zyprexa for well over a month). I'm having a hard time staying in my classes due to panic attacks and the tremor is driving me up the wall. I mentioned the tremor to my dad (who is a family doc) and he asked when was the last time I had my thyroid checked (which was years ago). We had a chat and it seems like all of the things I've been attributing to withdrawal could also be thyroid things. Hyperthyroid runs in my family, so my doctor agreed that it was worth a check. The blood test should be back Monday.
As I looked around the site, it seemed that the most common complaint for Zyprexa withdrawal is insomnia (which I am having) but few people have mentioned such a strong reaction. My doctor (who is a bit less impressed with the thyroid theory than I am...) thinks I'm having withdrawal dyskinesia, though not in a typical form because I'm having tremors instead of ticks. Has anyone here had withdrawal dyskenesia? If so, how long until it went away for you? I'm trying to figure out if I should buckle down and prepare for months of this...
Any words of experience or encouragement would be appreciated. Hopefully I'll get to know some of you soon.
Thanks
ratgrrl
Posted by Sebastian on September 21, 2003, at 10:33:43
In reply to New Member--Introduction and Zyprexa withdrawal, posted by ratgrrl on September 20, 2003, at 23:38:34
I was on 10mg for about 5 years. Last summer I went down to 5mg, stayed there for 3 months, withdraws at first, then everything was great. So next I stoped taking the zyprexa: Panic attacks, no sleep, anxiety, could not eat solid food. The longer I had stoped the zyprexa the worse the symtoms got. So doc put me on 2.5 mg. Within minutes I could eat food again, and all the other problems eased up. Anyways I decided to go back to 10mg and I trying more slowly this year; I'm on 5mg now and doing great! Note: Zyprexa tabs can be cut very easily, othen that is all it takes. My doctor also did not even know what zyprexa withdraw was, till I told him.
Sebastian
Posted by DayByDay on September 21, 2003, at 23:57:18
In reply to Re: New Member--Same Zyprexa withdrawal ŧ ratgrrl, posted by Sebastian on September 21, 2003, at 10:33:43
I was on 10mg Zyprexa and hand sleeping problems with every 2,5mg decreasement, from 10-7,5-5 the problems were short and light, from 5 - 2,5 it started to get a little annoying and from 2,5 to zero i had serious troubles with falling asleep and had to make numerous atemtps, helping my self with a temporary cannabis cure or sleeping pills (the first one worked better - however donīt use it if you wouldnīt use it otherwise or if itīs not suited for your disorder or medication) Then after a couple of tries i finally got rid of it.
Didnīt experience any other withdrawal symptoms
though, possibly anxiety and restlessness but that could have had other reasons.
Posted by DayByDay on September 22, 2003, at 8:43:51
In reply to Re: New Member--Same Zyprexa withdrawal, posted by DayByDay on September 21, 2003, at 23:57:18
Actually I do think I had an anxiety increasement also or maybe some antianxiety effect from Zyprexa was removed revealing some "background" anxiety - probably both though - the withdrawal strenghened my possible background anxiety.
My doctor told me that Zyprexa wasnīt addictive - from what iīve heard itīs both physically and psychologically addictive, besides the instruction i got in the med package says you can have: sweatings, insomnia, tremors, anxiety, feeling of sickness and vomiting if you stop to abrubtly so you have to reduce the dose slowly.
Still doing reducing it slowly I did experience annoying insomnia and anxiety increase. I even had to splitt the 2,5 pill in two to make it more gradual.
Posted by ratgrrl on September 22, 2003, at 21:01:53
In reply to Re: New Member--Same Zyprexa withdrawal, posted by DayByDay on September 21, 2003, at 23:57:18
I got my thyroid labs back today and my thyroid is fine...so I guess I only have the zyprexa to blame (hopefully my dr doesn't say i told you so)
I seem to have leveled out a bit...if at a rather miserable level. Tremors are still bad. Anxiety is still through the roof.
After reading your responses, I was pretty sure my dr was right and it was just the withdrawal because your experiences sound so familiar. But there was a piece of me that was still hoping my thyroid was messed up. Maybe because that is a physical problem instead of a mental one. Sometimes I get so tired of it always being my head that's wrecking havoc.
I *know* my dr is going to tell me to go back on a low dose of zyprexa. She already suggested it last week, when I wasn't as bad as I am now. But the reasons I stopped taking it still stand. I still don't like the side effects, especially the cognitive slowing (I'm a mathematician for gods sake, I have to be able to think), and neuroleptics make me *very* nervous. You could argue that I should go back on it, because maybe this is just an unmasking of the symptoms zyprexa was treating, but I *never* felt like this before. Sure I would get anxious, but for a reason, not 24 hours a day. I feel as though zyprexa left me worse off than I was before I took it, which makes me all the more bound and determined not to go back on it. Then I just have to do this whole horrible month of withdrawal all over again.
Again, thanks for your responses. At least I know I'm not making this up.
ratgrrl
This is the end of the thread.
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